NRM Bus Company Ltd – “Ferrying crowds for the benefit of Party NRM-O”; In Service since 3. November 2015!

The National Resistance Movement Bus Company Limited started its operation on the Presidential Nominations Rally on the 3rd November 2015. The buses was used from the districts and picking up ‘Crime Preventers’ to the Campaign venue. As the successful launch was not without defects as the Company stranded the people in Kampala instead of ferrying them home.

The NRM Bus Company has verified the actual value of their “car-park” as they have 168 buses. Which is being used to serve the company and make sure they deliver people to the campaign venues; the people themselves don’t want to show up without being payed and getting a free ride there. The people who usually doesn’t attend the rallies as the villages and small towns to get to the main venues to see Bebe Cool, Jose Chameleone and the Executive Director of the NRM Bus Company Honorable Yoweri K. Museveni. The one man who has used some of his funds to start the company!  

In the November 2015 alone the Bus Company used UGX 140m on the expenses on the company side (Alliance for Campaign, 2015).

Operational Launch of the Company:

On the initial launch of the company for the nomination rally the Company used the NRM Secretariat UGX 45m to have enough funds to get people from Lyantonde and Mubende to Kololo Independence Grounds on the 3rd November 2015. From the Area the Company had promised to send 15 buses, but only 9 showed up; so the Company did not deliver that day to expectation in the area. Buses from Kololo were also using the service of the Company from Kabale to the campaign venue.  

To the Luweero rallies the Buses was pre-occupied to get the people from the villages to the venues on the 9^th November 2015. They ferried Crime Preventers that was stranded after the Kololo break-down to the rallies in Luweero.

On the 25^th November the rally in Kotido town, where people from the villages had been ferried to; but the Company had also engagements in other parts to secure attendance for the party that owns the Company, though the delivery was sub-par in Kotido as the people we’re stranded as the Company was not prepared to facilitate people home on that occasion.

The Operation on 12^th December the Company had a successful business as they used 30 buses from Mbale to Bududa. The ones that took the opportunity that day in Mbale got UGX 5k and free yellow t-shirt.

The Company suffered a big set-back in Mbale at 12^th December as the truck-drivers was not fairly compensated or the former pledges of the NRM Company was not being kept. Even when a Government Official in the Region District Commander (RDC) was going to negotiate with the Company men, they still refused.

On the 18^th December the Company had a sufficient delivery as the Campaign in Tororo was filled to the brim with no locals and that people from all corners was payed to attend the rallies that day. The people came the day before and Company surely did get people to the event on the 19^th of December.

On the 4^th January in Kabale towards the main rally at the Kabale Stadium, from all around the villages in the district buses was travelling and giving money to attend the campaign rally. The amount of cost for this rally was expected to cost the company UGX 500m.

They had operations at the 6^th January in 2016 to get people from Ntungamo to Rukungiri to make sure that the people arrived safely to the Rukungiri campaign venue. The worst part of the delivery was the village people who had joined and taken part of the services on the 6^th January in Kihihi, was stranded at the Kihihi Police Station; so the Bus Company did not live up to expectations.

On the 10^th January in Isingiro the Crime Preventers was the one who was attending the Campaing Rally, while the locals walked home, successful in the way the Company got Crime Preventers to the venue, but the locals did not use the service.

In January they had a central in Mbarara while making sure the affiliations and hired extended companies like 11^th January the Global Buses to ship people to the Campaign venues. As the 13^th January hired another buses to make sure they got people from the districts around the area to get people to Bushenyi.    

On the 2^nd February the Company fixed trucks and buses to get people to the Sembabule rally of the owning party, but did not facilitate to get people home, as they we’re stranded, the Company was off to other engagements and rallies; was also not ordered to get people back home after the rally.

On the 4^th February the Company used it resources and got people as far as Kalangala to be a part of the rally at Masaka. They used rented and owned trucks from the long distance areas to make the full with people.

On the 8^th February to be able to have enough people for the rallies that day, the Bus Company had operations in the Busoga Region, giving T-Shirts and UGX 20k and the ride to the campaign venues of the day. As the locals that day would not attend on the rallies there.

On the 10^th of February the Company had troubles with the arrangement and buses where in the shop so the service delivery was substandard and therefore the amount of people at rallies in Entebbe as the mechanical problems destroyed the result of the company that day.

On the 11^th February the Company had hired Global to be successful again getting people from Mbarara to Kampala to attend the venue graced by the company.

Today (12.02.2016)  in Kampala the NRM Bus Company have been busy with offering ferrying services from Central Parts of city to Kawempe main rally, as the operations drops UGX 5k as the Bus Service was in operations in Kampala.

Basic Part of the Operation of the NRM Bus Company Limited: 

As we see the operations since the beginning has not been perfect, but that is to blame for the mobilisers who has not address the central organizations as Mike Ssebalu as the NRM Campaign Task Manger or Gen. Tukumunde “the money man” who hasn’t fixed the money from the owning party. As the NRM Bus Company is not yet a fully functional enterprise or limited company as it will be after the 19^th February. Then the NRM Bus Company Limited will both dissolve and sell the buses, so they can be customized for those who want the buses that have tested the worst roads of the country while driving from village to village. Our main spokesman in Ofwono Opondo who will delegate the issues that you have through the Uganda Media Centre, while Jim Muhwezi and his men in the Ministry of Information and National Guidance, as they take the questions you may have on the NRM.ug as that is in their working title. So the Press if they have issues should either address Hon. Opondo or Hon. Muhwezi. The Executive will just address the bus-matter if the participation is fully in his hand and not set standards by anybody else. If you have issues with procurement or allocations as the party sometimes as owner delivers the payments slow, be assured the Dr. Ruhakana Ruganda will come with the necessary facilitation to make sure the venue and people have the money that they deserve for being a part of the Bus Company, A customer and also a citizen at the same time. Peace.

Reference:

Alliance for Campaign – ‘MONITORING CAMPAIGN EXPENSES DURING THE PRE-ELECTION PERIOD’ – PROGRESS REPORT NOVEMBER – DECEMBER 2015

Campaign preview’s and updates on the ground in Uganda – The day before the day

There been the nominations days and harmonization of the campaigns with the Electoral Commission. So tomorrow is the official start to the long journey to 18^th February. They have already talked and commented about each other. Now the train has left the station and we will see how far the train goes of it ends well at the destination.

First- NRM in Luweero:

There have been pictures of the Yellow Buses arriving in Luweero without any joy of the locals. Also been reports of the Crime Preventers that was left behind in Kololo has been taken buses towards Luweero as we speak. So that they might get paid this time and also get a free t-shirt. So that the President has an eager crowd at the place! There are also reports that the NRM will treat the ones that show up a free lunch and transport to those who comes by the rally in town.

One Campaign plan by the NRM:

“The NRM is now on the move to Neutralize ‪#‎Goforward Msge saying they are the ones going forward and in effect it resonates with the No Change Slogan”.

Second – FDC in Rukungiri:

There have been reports that Dr. Kizza Besigye travelled through Ntungamo via Kahengye Bridge and continued through Nyakibare to Rukungiri Town. There been reports of supports walking from as long as 100 kilometers to stay over to take part of the election rally tomorrow! In the area the rally has called off work and become a Public Holiday in the area. The Kasiki has begun at the Fdc offices in Rukungiri in preparation for rally tomorrow today.

Later in the week some notices:

“All is set to welcome Col.(rtd)Dr. Kizza Waren Besigye Kifeefe to Kanungu on Thursday 12th.Nov.2015 – He is expected to arrive in the District on Wednesday evening and thereafter address his people via a Kanungu popular radio station KBS at 8:00pm. He will in the morning head to Mpungu to greet his people there and later pass Butogota where he will have a stop-over and greet his people. He will thereafter address a mega rally in Kihihi before heading to Kanungu Main Stadium for a final Mega rally in the evening” (Reports is saying so)

Third – Go Forward:

Muhamad Kikomeko who is a support of the Amama Mbabazi escapes death in Sembabule, a group attacked his car and burned his car.

The Amama Mbabazi rally will happen in Maska District.

Fourth and Fifth – Independent Candidates:

Tomorrow November 9, 2015 TIC Presidential Candidate Mr. Mabirizi Joseph and Mrs. Maureen Faith Kyala Waluube will hold various meetings in Iganga and Kaliro districts.

We have decided that the two cut costs and share resources – they will be campaigning on the same platform everywhere. Their time table is the same.

Tomorrow 9th Nov they are in Iganga and Kaliro. On Tuesday 10th – in Bugiri and Namayingo. On Wednesday,11th they will be in Jinja and Mayuge.

A Sidenote:

“Kagame on Nkurunziza: ‘What kind of president locks himself up, talks to no one — no one can find him — while bodies litter the streets?’”

Can’t wait for tomorrow! There will be movement on the ground and reports ticking in tomorrow. Can’t wait, not worth stressing about it before it ticks in and the campaigning will happen. An wonder how the people in the towns and villages around the areas where the Presidential Candidates are running their campaigns, not only also how the Tear-gas skirmishing police will deal with Leaders of Opposition, don’t expect any violence around the NRM campaign, but there rest there could be issues! Because the UPF has an history of going against the other ones. Peace.